Famous People With Narcolepsy

Although narcolepsy is not as common as other sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea, it is affecting 1 in 2000 people in the US.  While there is no proven treatment for this disorder, majority of the narcolepsy sufferers are able to lead a normal life.  Do you know that even famous people are not spared from narcolepsy? 

One of the best known famous narcoleptics is Franck Bouyer, a French cyclist. This 33-year old cyclist who used to cycle with the Bouygues team had suffer narcolepsy almost for two years. He found solution to his condition with a drug called Modafinil. However, the Modafinil drug was banned to use by cyclist and this has prevented him from doing his job that is cycling.

Another famous person who has narcolepsy is Jimmy Kimmel. He is one of the hosts of famous show called “The Man Show”. He usually becomes very sleepy and uncontrollable extremely in the centre of the day. To avoid from getting sleep attacks during the day which obviously will affect his job, Jimmy Kimmel took stimulants and it works for him. He, however, had once fallen asleep in front of the camera.

Harold Ickes is another famous narcoleptic. He is the former advisor of Clinton. He is known for sleeping during important meetings. To avoid this, he uses amphetamines to stay awake and focus on his job. This works for him and narcolepsy does not slow him from performing well in his career.

Other famous people that were diagnosed as suffering from narcolepsy are Teresa Nielsen, a famous science fiction essayist; TJ and Ace, a radio DJ; Arthur Lowe, an actor; Nastassja Kinski, a beautiful talented actress, and many more.

Narcolepsy however didn’t stop all these famous people from being famous and achieving their dreams. It’s their courage that counts and helps them achieve their goals. Narcolepsy is just an obstacle for them to beat in order to be a better person. So, if you find yourself suffer from narcolepsy, remember not to quit. Yet, take it as a challenge for you to go further just like these famous people.